About You: Love & Sacrifice
In Good Me
Heavy rain filled the streets and the visibility of Jihoon from the car. The thunderbolt accompanied his journey through the lonely road with minimal lighting on the left right side. Jihoon's eyebrows continued to bend, occasionally biting his lips and fingers in agitation. The gas pedal continued to be stepped on until it passed the 120 km/h mark, the man did not even care about his own safety.
The shadow of Younha appeared in his tangled mind. From the smile at Oxford, Jihoon's love for Younha was sincere for no reason, even though all Younha had seen was a lie. It is difficult to reveal the facts of true love because Jihoon is faced with a difficult destiny. Destiny that makes him a good and bad man together.
Until the time came to reveal the truth, he felt less bold and hesitant. That long hesitation ultimately eliminates the opportunity to state the truth. However, even though Jihoon got the courage to tell the truth, courage sometimes felt more uncomfortable than lies.
Jihoon felt like that, reality made his chest tight for a long time.
Decitan tires swiped with sonorous asphalt after he stepped on the brakes all of a sudden. The view across the street where a truck rolled over with thick smoke wrapped around helped make Jihoon's body shake even more violently. He took off the impatient seatbelt, then walked firmly towards the crowd in soaked clothes.
“Where?” Jihoon's eyes moved in all directions, looking for someone he had been worried about ever since. “Where are the taxi passengers?!”
He yelled and grabbed the collar of the policeman wearing the rain coat while continuing to ask where the victim was.
“Whose you?” Ask the cop.
“What is it important now?!” The screams are getting frustrating. “Tell me where are the victims of that taxi passenger?!”
“Jihoon-na!”
Jihoon turned to the origin of the voice, saw Younha standing there under the blue umbrella and was fine. Jihoon's two limbs moved without being ruled, approached the woman and hugged her tightly. Younha was speechlessly confused and shocked by Jihoon's attitude, what exactly happened?
Their warm bodies could not match the current chill. Younha's umbrella fell as soon as Jihoon hugged her, there he could feel if the burly body shook with cold.
“You fool? Why let your phone run out of power when it's gone?" Sargah Jihoon as soon as the embrace was stretched and their beads met. Jihoon held onto both of Younha's shoulders, channeling worry. “What if something bad happens and you can't contact anyone?!”
Younha's eyeballs riled up, his lips too faint to speak.
“That...” Younha saw Jihoon's pale face and his hands spontaneously rose to touch his forehead and cold cheeks. “Jihoon-na are you okay? Rain like this you drive from the center of Seoul all of a sudden? Your face is pale, why is it raining?”
Jihoon was fixated on Younha's question, even at times like this he was still worried about her. What did Jihoon think? Younha doesn't love her? Isn't what women are showing at this time obvious?
“You shouldn't come in heavy rain like this.” After taking the umbrella to protect Jihoon from the rain. “Jihoon-na are you right okay?”
“Entahlah. I don't know what I'm doing either.” Tukas Jihoon with a blank look.
They look at each other in silence, in confusion, and in another dimension. A thing that cannot be described with words is seizing their feelings.
While under a tree across the street, Woojin smiled bitterly and felt the rain running down his face. He also did not understand what brought him here, but seeing Younha and Jihoon meeting like this, the man was a little aware that Younha was a house he could not reach.
...*****...
Mirae glanced at the wall clock.
It was very late even entering half an hour in the morning. The rain that flushed just subsided and left a small stub. Although the hustle and bustle of Seoul's nightlife is still visible from the twenty-fifth floor of her apartment, it still feels lonely in her heart.
Jinan was already allowed to go home late, but Mirae also knew the busyness of her husband as a police officer. Mirae pacing back and forth while holding her hands occasionally glanced at her phone on the table hoping that Jinan would call to let me know. But there's been no sign of entry since the last time I said I was going home late.
They have been a bit far lately. Jinan is busy with police and community affairs while Mirae also undergoes many surgical tasks. Their conversation was only cursory at breakfast or going to bed. Work that makes tired also takes time to make the husband and wife relationship a little tenuous in communication.
In recent weeks, Jinan has been talking more about Younha with Mirae. The reason because the woman was going through a difficult time became the most important. Mirae did understand what was happening, not that she did not believe in her husband, but the fact that Younha was a friend who had been a companion to Jinan's life slightly disturbed the mind—pun all the attention that the man gave secretly heartrenched Mirae.
Mirae did not want to accuse Jinan or Younha at all, but her mind was deadlocked and made the anger that she had been holding so turbulent to be evaporated. Mirae gets up to change clothes and follows to Younha's apartment not far from her place - but the unit bell precedes her steps.
Jinan looked exhausted with the shirt on his messy body, the tie went nowhere and the buttons of his top shirt had been opened, revealing a bit of his breast skin. Jinan smiled but was also surprised to see the wife was still awake, she took off her pantofel and approached Mirae who was only silent in the middle of the room.
“My darling hasn't slept?”
“Why did your shirt button come off?”
Jinan ducked, glanced at his own shirt and then chuckled.
“Seojun who released it.” Said Jinan who had yet to realize Mirae's accusatory intentions.
“Seojun?” Mirae squeaks sarcasm. “You were in Younha's apartment this late?”
“I've permission for you.”
“You have permission to go home late but not to go to your best friend's apartment!” Mirae shouted furiously. “Moreover come home this late when I was home alone. Jinan, you already have a wife! You have your own family and your own home!”
Jinan closed his eyes, massaging his forehead which suddenly dizzy to hear Mirae's misunderstanding.
“You sure that made your shirt button dislodged Seojun? Not a sweet and impatient Younha?” His voice was at the end of the sentence.
Jinan was startled, then looked at his wife's reddened bead. Didn't expect Mirae to be so prejudiced and accuse Younha. Younha is not that kind of person.
“Mirae, what's wrong with you?”
“You guys play until this late?” Mirae glanced at the wall clock. “How long can Younha stay with you? Four hours? Five?”
“You just accused me of sleeping with Younha?” Dahi Jinan wrinkled.
“No?” is not Mirae flicked the collar of Jinan's shirt and saw that her neck and chest skin were still clean. “He should also leave a mark on your body so that he becomes more perfect because he can fuck his ex-girlfriend again! Isn't that what you want? You still love Younha and hope to come back? Or you've played behind my back a few times without me knowing. While I try to think well of you and Younha! I always have to give up and give up!!”
“MIRAE!” Jinan unintentionally raised her tone so that Mirae was silent for a moment. “I didn't expect you to think like that.”
“Then what should I think?” Mirae's voice was shaking. “Seeing own husband is in another woman's apartment to share a fairy tale?”
“Mirae—"
“Every time I get scared thinking about you and Younha. You still love him and he can also give you a lot of children, no matter what you want.” Mirae was weakened and saddened by her own words. “What if one day you leave me?”
Jinan immediately pulled Mirae into a hug before she could shed her first tear. Both of Jinan's arms hugged his wife's shoulders tightly, giving a kiss on her temple as her palms stroked the narrow back for comfort. Jinan gave time for Mirae to be able to blow everything away even if it was only a prejudice against her and Younha. He also gave pause to think rationally and reflect on everything the woman had said.
“Tell me anything else that stuck in your heart.” Biik Jinan's. “Everything.”
Mirae was still silent, before linking her ten fingers behind Jinan's waist even tighter.
“Thinking to fuck Younha I never did. I already have a wife I love so much, it's enough to block everything.”
Jinan stretched out her arms so that she could look at Mirae's face, while she still continued to hug her waist.
“I can understand with your bad thoughts it is because I am also wrong, I do not know if anyone is secretly injured, secretly enduring pain, and secretly trying to be okay like you.” Jinan's thumb rubbed his wife's cheek gently, wiping away the tears that made her fall ill with him. “And I'm not from Younha's apartment just now but Jihoon's. After coming home from the office I stopped by to bring a little cake for Jihoon and a while later Jihoon and Younha just came in wet clothes. I don't know what happened to them, but the Seojun who woke up from his sleep prevented me from returning home until late.”
Clearly guilt was drawn on Mirae's face, she had already accused the groundless thing of her own ego. He stared at Jinan's shady face, no more angry gestures other than a tired look.
“Sorry to have yelled at you.” Jinan pulled Mirae's body into her arms again. “Sorry to be home late and make you anxious.”
Jinan leaned her cheek on Mirae's shoulder, enjoying the warm bodies of those hugging in the middle of the room while hearing a gentle apology from her wife's lips.
...*****...
